1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surgical headlamps using remote light sources coupled by fiberoptic cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dramatic increases in efficiency, flexibility and reliability along with reductions in size and mass have made fiberoptic cable coupled headlamps predominate in the medical field today. The design and variety of these lamps has proliferated in attempts to attain maximum convenience to the surgeon. Some early designs aimed at compact size as the major objective. Typical lamps were little more than protuberances at the headband. At surgical distances, even small differences from the line of sight can produce undesired shadow so that now lamps have been designed for positioning in between the surgeon's eyes. Optical systems have been used to collimate the light so that the illuminated spot size does not change with movement of the surgeon's head. The size of the spot has also been made variable with an iris in the optical system. As with most improvements, these improvements themselves raise further problems. Adjustability and stability of the lamp position becomes important. The headband must anchor the lamp with greater security and stability. The lamp should be designed for compatibility with magnifying optics worn by the surgeon. It should be easy to move the lamp out of the way and still be able to reposition it quickly. It should be possible to move magnifying optics out of the way without moving the lamp.